This peaceful, lakeside park lies in the sprawling green grounds of a classic 19th century Breton château.

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Camping Le Deffay

Europe France Loire Valley Loire-Atlantique

Peaceful, lakeside camping in the grounds of a classic 19th-century Breton château

How many of you have harboured dreams of staying in your own French country estate? Well, look no further than Camping Deffay. This peaceful, lakeside park lies in the sprawling grounds of a classic 19th century Breton château, four kilometres outside the pretty commune of Pontchâteau.

In the heart of the Brière national park, Camping Deffay makes its name as a central base for exploring some 154 acres of marshland lakes and islets. The region feels, in many ways, like one of France's last great wildernesses. That is until you marvel at the many thatched cottages which adorn the reed-lined waterways, and realise that the Brière is in fact a living snapshot of Brittany's rural history. Besides the park, Camping Deffay offers the ideal position for exploring the many delights of western France. From the vineyards of the Loire Valley, to the glitzy beachside bars at La Baule; from the medieval citadels of Guérande, to the vibrant Grand-Ouest capital of Nantes; Deffay is equidistant from any number of great days out.

But if a good old dose of r'n'r is paramount on your agenda, then you rarely need to leave this laid-back, lakeside hideaway. With brand-new wash facilities worthy of its four-star status, a cheap and cheerful campsite bistro and bar, plus delightful multi-lingual staff that are only too happy to help, this really is fuss-free camping.

The real draw here, though (and providing a handy division between the site's camping area and the smattering of statics and bungalows on site), is the lake. Guests are allowed to fish the waters and take the campsite pedalo out for a cruise, while flat, well-drained pitches sit right along the shoreline. You'd be hard pressed to find a more idyllic spot to pitch. Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for the family of resident coypus on the lake's small island. You'll generally hear them before you see them, providing a soft, calling soundtrack to this quiet camping retreat.

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Details

Facilities

Wash block with decent toilets and showers. Washing machines, dryers and even a dish-washer available. Wi-Fi for €3 per day. Open-air swimming pool. Small onsite shop stocking basics such as croissants, bread, etc.

Suitable For

Tents, campervans, caravans, dogs – yes.

Nearby

The Parc Regional de la Grande Briere (0033 240 91 68 68) boasts the Loire Valley's most diverse wetland bird population. Explore France's second largest marshland on a leisurely cruise in one of the iconic punts, or chalands. Or, if its beaches you're after, La Baule-Escoublac is regarded as one of Europe's finest bays. This south Breton resort is famous for its pristine 12km sands which attract the French upper crust every summer. Besides its casinos and luxury villas, La Baule also hosts one of the world's most prestigious show-jumping events, Grand Prix de la Ville de La Baule. The port of Saint-Nazaire is also close by – the scene for arguably the most daring allied raid of WWII, when British commandos ram-raided and destroyed the dry dock there. Some of Brittany's most historic towns and cities are also worth a visit including Nantes – home of the Château des ducs de Bretagne (0033 251 17 49 48) – and Vannes with its ancient city walls and timber-beamed houses.

Food & Drink

There are plenty of excellent restaurants in the area. Le Clos de Mélanie (0033 240 88 08 39) is one of the closest and serves a pleasing menu of French classics. For something particularly sophisticated, Le 11 (0033 240 42 23 28) offers a vibrant set menu and they also have an artisan shop attached. Deffay's onsite eaterie is also a decent and convenient shout, though it only opens in high season from 7pm-10pm. The pizzas are particularly popular.

Opening Times

May – September.

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The Owner Says

This peaceful, lakeside park lies in the sprawling green grounds of a classic 19th century Breton château.

Accommodation

150 (90 for touring units) pitches, most with electricity (6 or 10 amp). Lakeside spots available. The lake nicely divides the tent camping area from the larger touring vehicles and static caravans.

Grass pitch with electricity & water

Grass pitch Sleeps 6 3 Available

A spacious pitch with electricity and water, set in the peaceful, lakeside camping meadow in the grounds of a classic 19th-century Breton château.

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Grass pitch with electricity

Grass pitch Sleeps 6 14 Available

A spacious pick with an electricla hook-up, set in the peaceful, lakeside camping meadow on the grounds of a classic 19th-century Breton château.

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Premium grass pitch

Grass pitch Sleeps 6 3 Available

A super-spacious grass pitch with water, electricity and waste disposal, in the peaceful, lakeside campground in the grounds of a classic 19th-century Breton château.

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Location

Contact Camping Le Deffay, Le Deffay 44160 Sainte-Reine-de-Bretagne, Loire-Atlantique, France

Show Map

Getting There

From the N165 join the D33 at junction 13. Then follow blur tourist signs for Camping du Deffay.

Nantes Airport is 50km away. Rennes is around 100km.

Reviews

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Rated ★★★★☆ over 9 reviews

★★★☆☆

Great location and peacefull but a little run down..

Stayed in late August, very quiet with nice spacious pitches.. Toilet and shower facilities were functional but a little tired, could do with redecoration. The bar and restaurant were very basic and the staff a little slow, the food was very basic and lazily presented. The pool is large and clean, reception and staff were very helpful..

Sep 1, 2019 by CharlieB

★★★★☆

Spacious site, great playgrounds

We went in August and booked ahead but there was plenty of room. Lovely spacious pitch with a view of the lake. Good facilities. 2 great playgrounds for our young kids (3 and 1). However one playground is next to the entrance and we noticed a few cars zoom round the corner and through the site too fast so the playground could do with a fence around it. Bilingual staff were great. We had a brilliant day on the island in Nantes and 2 days at the beach (about half an hour away). The restaurant was lovely but the food was pretty basic and not cheap.

Aug 14, 2019 by Charlie Verified Review

★★★★★

Excellent facilities for kids

A brilliant, safe site for kids.. we loved the playparks and the trikes. It would be nice to use the pedal boats if they are usable next time. On site restaurant was a little chaotic... Opened hours later than they said, lost our order and lots of people were getting the wrong food so it was a bit stressful but everyone was very friendly. Lots of English families.

Aug 1, 2018 by Jones

★★★★☆

Scenery

Friendly and quaint. Peaceful. Lovely facilities including a free dishwasher! However as lovely as our stay was and would go again, the toilets and showers need modernising. Could be cleaner and smell fresher but was a pass.

Jul 25, 2018 by Debbie Walton

★★★★★

Beautiful peaceful spot

This is a wonderful place, and a world away from the typical French all-singing and dancing campsites with aquaslides and entertainment. It's much more low-key, more like a traditional British campsite (hence its popularity with Brits), and wasn't busy at all when we were there in early July. We had a lovely pitch right by the lake, and the silence was fantastic - we just sat there and watched/listened the ducks, water voles, swallows and bats. Yes the facilities are a little old-school (jn a good way) but not out-of-date and spotlessly clean. they even have two free eco dishwashers! The shop has a minimal stock of the basics including wine, and the bar and restaurant is ok. The heated pool is very nice too. There's similarly low-key activities for kids including small play areas and a bouncy castle. It's very convenient for the E160 autoroute about 10-15 mins away, and the cost is half an hour or so. We only stayed for three nights, but could have happily stayed for much more.

Jul 10, 2018 by mikecheshire

★★★★☆

Lovely peaceful site

Very pleased with this site. I stopped here for two nights on my way south. It was easy to find and the receptionist was friendly and welcoming. I was invited to choose any pitch I liked, as there were very few people there in late June. I chose a lakeside spot, which offered part-sun, part-shade, and perfect tranquillity. I pitched my tent and proceeded to sit back and relax, watching otters swimming in the lake. It was just what I was looking for. Most pitches come with electricity and water tap (there are some 'simple' pitches but they're the same price so seemed pointless). Normally I resent paying for electricity when I don't use it, but having my own water tap was really convenient so I didn't mind in this case. Good facilities - toilets, showers, wash-up and laundry. No freezer but they will freeze ice blocks for you in reception. I'd happily stay there again.

Jul 6, 2018 by Little nomad

★★★★★

Lovely spot, excellent facilities

Contrary to previous reviews, we found the facilities to be to an extremely high standard. Spacious washing area, clean showers and plenty of loos meant the less glamorous side of camping was an enjoyable experience. Pitches were extremely spacious and the whole campsite had a relaxed and peaceful ambience. Strolling down to the lake after aperitifs and seeing a beaver splashing about in the sunset was probably the highlight of our stay. Unfortunately we were only at Deffay for one night so didn't make use of the bar and restaurant. However our friendly caravanning neighbours mentioned that there was possibly a new chef as the food was much improved on last year. The homely welcome we received after a long day on the road was just what the doctor ordered. A cold biere from the well stocked shop and the cheaper than expected damage (24euros for a campervan with 3 passengers) topped the arrival off! We'll most certainly be back for a longer stay. Merci!

Jul 12, 2015 by Campervan Campbells

★★★★☆

Very relaxing place

Just got back( mid August) from a week staying in a lakeside cabin at this campsite. We booked a couple of months ago and were surprised that there were still vacancies. We arrived to an lovely lake side setting, with a pretty basic but perfectly adequate wooden cabin ( some of the larger cabins were much higher spec with fitted kitchens and flat screen tvs!). The kids ( age 3 and 5) immediately loved the trampoline and bouncy castles and mini play areas dotted around the site and it was busy enough for the kids to make friends but not too busy that it felt hectic. The bar was fine and we had takeaway pizzas one night which were also fine. We enjoyed several day trips from the campsite ( piriac sur mer, la baule, gerande and the amazing iles des machines in Nantes. ) but also,enjoyed a couple of days relaxing on site. It may have been a little less than the highest spec in places but we didn't really mind this as the setting and friendly atmosphere ( and kingfishers flying across the lake) more than made up for it.

Aug 18, 2014 by Luwa

★★☆☆☆

Some positives but overall disappointing

Spent 8 nights here at the beginning of July. This site does have some positives: off-road location so minimal street/car noise, nice parkland setting with lake, bar on site and very big and private pitches. However, the campsite is getting very tired and I suspect its 4 star rating is dated. The toilet/shower block facilities are old, broken in places and needing refurbishment (they are not immaculate as suggested in the sidebar opposite) as is the pool area and some of the other amenities such as the free pedalos. The pitches are mostly slightly sloping and fairly rough underfoot with ruts and holes that made setting up the outdoor chairs and cooking uncomfortable. The toilets were also a decent hoof from where we were pitched which was inconvenient. The restaurant food was awful - this from my kids and they were right... We were not looking for a really busy and noisy campsite but even towards the end of July it was very quiet. This campsite has the potential to be much better but at the moment it is not up to the standard expected. Disappointing.

Jul 23, 2014 by LM